Elizabeth Montgomery was born into show business. Her
parents were screen actor Robert Montgomery and Broadway actress Elizabeth
Allen. Elizabeth graduated from the Spence School in New York City and attended
the Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. After three years intensive training,
she made her TV debut in her father's 1950s playhouse series Robert Montgomery
Presents (1950) and appeared in more than 200 live programs over the next
decade. She once remarked, "I guess you could say I'm a TV baby." Notable early
film roles included The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955) and Johnny Cool
(1963). She is best remembered, however, for her leading role as the witch
Samantha in the top-rated ABC sitcom Bewitched (1964). Her family - mother
Endora (Agnes Moorehead), look-alike cousin (Montgomery) and advertising
executive husband Darrin (first Dick York then Dick Sargent) - tried to suppress
her supernatural skills but often turned to her tricks to solve problems. The
signal of impending witchcraft was a twitch of Samantha's nose. After her first
and only TV series ended she turned to made-for-TV movies, many of which won
critical praise: A Case of Rape (1974), The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975),
Black Widow Murders: The Blanche Taylor Moore Story (1993). She narrated the
movie The Panama Deception (1992) which won an Academy Award in 1993. Reference
works showed her as 62 when she died though the family said she was 57. The
family did not disclose the type of cancer which caused her death.

She and Robert Foxworth lived together for nineteen years before finally
marrying.

Children with William Asher: William Asher Jr. (b. July 24, 1964), Robert Asher
(b. October 5, 1965) and Rebecca Asher (Rebecca Elizabeth Asher) (b. 17 June
1969).

She died 8 weeks after being diagnosed with colon cancer and was cremated.

Daughter of Elizabeth Allen and Robert Montgomery.

She was a sister of Robert Montgomery Jr.. She also had an older sister, Martha
Bryan, (born October 13, 1930), but she died of spinal meningitis at the age of
14 months, before Elizabeth was born.

She lost out on the part of Edie Doyle in On the Waterfront (1954) to Eva Marie
Saint. Director Elia Kazan, in his autobiography "A Life," says that the choice
of an actress to play the part was narrowed down to Montgomery and Saint.
Although Montgomery was fine in her screen test, there was an air of finishing
school about her. Kazan thought this genteel quality would not be becoming for
Edie, who was raised on the waterfront in Hoboken, NJ. Despite qualms about
30-year old Saint playing a teen, she was cast in the part and won a Best
Supporting Actress Oscar.

She died on the same day as her Johnny Cool (1963) co-star Elisha Cook Jr..

Ranked #52 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women"(1995).

Appeared on The Flintstones (1960) episode, The Flintstones: Samantha (1965),
providing the voice of a cartoon version of her famous Bewitched (1964)
character, "Samantha Stevens".

Montgomery spent weekends and summers at the family farm in upstate Patterson,
New York. Often referenced in episodes of Bewitched (1964) as "Patterson Garage"
or "Cushman Cosmetics", Cushman Road is the rural, dirt road on which the
several hundred acre Montgomery estate is located.

A 9 foot bronze statue of Elizabeth as Samantha Stephens riding sidesaddle on
her broomstick now resides in a downtown park in Salem, Massachusetts, home to
the infamous witch trials of the 17th century.

Best remembered by the public for her starring role as Samantha in Bewitched
(1964). When they were trying to figure out a trademark for the character
Samantha, the director William Asher noticed that when she got nervous, she
twitched her upper lip, which caused her nose to follow and thus gave the
impression she was twitching her nose. Thus, they used that.

Received a posthumous star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame on January 4, 2008.

Was a grand marshal with former TV husband Dick Sargent at the 1992 Los Angeles
Gay Pride Parade. Elizabeth was a supporter of gay rights and also women's
rights throughout her life.

She fell in love with director Richard Michaels during filming of the eighth
season of Bewitched (1964), and moved in with him when the season was complete.
This broke up both their marriages and ended the possibility of a ninth season.
The relationship lasted two and a half years.

Turned down the role of "Krystle Carrington" on Dynasty (1981).

Elizabeth Montgomery and Lizzie Borden were sixth cousins once removed, both
descending from 17th-century Massachusetts resident John Luther. Rhonda McClure,
the genealogist who documented the Montgomery-Borden connection, said, "I wonder
how Elizabeth would have felt if she knew she was playing her own cousin.".

Older sister of Robert Montgomery Jr..

Stepmother of Bo Foxworth.

In a parody of her "Samantha Stephens" role, she made a cameo appearance as a
witch at the end of the beach party film, How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965),
directed by her then-husband, William Asher.

Was 7 months pregnant with her third child, daughter Rebecca Asher, when she
took maternity leave from filming the 6th season of Bewitched (1964). Returned
to work 1 month after giving birth.

She was two months pregnant with her first child, son William Asher Jr., when
she filmed the pilot episode of Bewitched (1964), _I, Darrin, Take This Witch,
Samantha_. She returned to work two months after giving birth to resume filming
the 1st season. The same situation was when she was eight months pregnant with
her second child, son Robert Asher - she took maternity leave from filming the
2nd season and returned to work two months after giving birth.

She was a staunch liberal Democrat and feminist who was an activist for LGBT
rights.

By using our website you Agree to and
Acknowledge to Disclaimer: All pictures are copyright to their respective
owners. No infringement is intended. Watt-up.com does not claim ownership of any
of the photos displayed in these galleries. Tags at the bottom of the photos are
to show that it was originally posted here. Images are for entertainment /
news/ fan purposes only, if there is an issue with any of the photos displayed,
contact for prompt removal. The use of media materials is protected by the fair use Clause of the US Copyright Act of 1976 , which allows for the rebroadcast of copyrighted materials for the purpose of commentary, criticism, and education.